CHAPTER
ONE
Sterling
“Uncle Sterling!” My niece, Blakely, giggles as I spin us around in a circle. I hold her tight in my arms as her head falls back, her hair rippling with each turn.
“Faster?” I ask.
“Faster!” she agrees.
I move my feet, spinning us faster. Her laughter reaches in and binds itself around my heart. This little girl has us all wrapped around her little finger. Knowing that she just had a big slice of her birthday cake with ice cream, I slow until we’re no longer rotating. Blakely places her head on my shoulder, and I don’t have to see her face to know she’s still smiling.
“That was fun.” She snuggles into me.
I kiss the top of her head and squeeze her tightly. I love my brothers and my parents, but when Blakely came along, it was a whole different kind of love. One I’d never known. I remember the first time I held her. She was so damn tiny, swaddled up in a pink blanket. I recall thinking that my brothers and I were fucked, because she was going to rule the roost.
I wasn’t wrong, and we all love every minute of it.
Don’t get me wrong. She’s not a brat. In fact, she appears to be much older than today’s birthday party represents. She’s five going on fifteen. She’s spunky and cute as hell.
“Are you hogging the birthday girl?” Ryder, one of my younger brothers, asks. There are nine of us in total.
“Yep.”
“Uncle Sterling, Mommy says you have to share,” my niece scolds.
“But I’m your favorite,” I tease. We all do.
“I have lots of favorites,” she admits with a toothy smile.
“My turn.” Ryder pulls her from my arms and tickles her belly as they walk away. Looking around my brother Declan’s backyard, I seek him out. I spot him and his wife, Kennedy, our brother Brooks, and his wife, Palmer, all sitting on the back deck. I make my way to them, leaning over the back of Kennedy’s chair and kissing the top of her head. “A boy. Congratulations.”
Declan reaches over and places his hand protectively over her growing baby bump. It’s something that he often does. Hell, they all do. My brothers do not shy away from showing affection for their wives and unborn children. Over the past few years, our family has grown. I have three new sisters-in-law, and we’re adding three new babies to the Kincaid clan. Then, our cousin Ramsey, who is more like our little sister, is getting married next month. In just a couple of weeks, we’ll be adding Deacon to our list of added family members.
“Is this where all the cool kids hang out?” my oldest brother, Orrin, asks.
I watch as he pulls a chair out for his pregnant wife, Jade, and waits for her to sit before taking one of the open seats next to her at the table.
“You know it.” Palmer, my brother Brooks’s wife, smiles, rubbing her belly.
“Not much longer,” Jade tells her.
“I know. I can’t believe we get to meet her in a handful of weeks,” Palmer replies.
“It feels like we’ve been waiting to meet her for years.” Brooks leans over and kisses his wife.
We all laugh. If there was ever a man excited to be a father, it’s Brooks. That’s not saying that Declan and Orrin are any less excited, but Brooks, he tells anyone who’s willing to listen that he and his wife are expecting their first baby. My big brother is a softie. Then again, out of the nine of us, three are married, and every single one of them is a big ole teddy bear when it comes to their wives.
“Tink!” I call out to my best friend, Alyssa. I call her Tink because she’s a tiny thing compared to me. She just walked around the corner of the house. She’s laughing at something the twins are saying. Shaking her head at them, she turns to head in our direction. “Come sit.” I pat the empty seat next to me.
“I’m not sure that I should.” She looks around the table at the ladies. “Is it something in the water? Should I be concerned?” She laughs.
“Depends.” Palmer leans forward. “Is there someone you haven’t told us about that could put you in this position?” She motions to her protruding belly.
I think about Palmer’s question. As far as I know, Alyssa isn’t seeing anyone. The thought of her being pregnant by a man I’ve never met doesn’t sit well with me. I sit up a little straighter in my chair, ready to ask her, but relax as soon as I see her roll those big brown eyes.
Alyssa laughs again, shaking her head as she pulls out the chair to take a seat. My sisters-in-law have recently been including her in their girls’ nights, and I like that they’re close to her. Alyssa and I have been friends since kindergarten. She was the shy, quiet one, while I was the rowdy one that never stopped talking. Our teacher thought sitting me next to Alyssa would shut me up. Little did she know, I kept talking until the cute girl with big brown eyes and pigtails became my best friend. We’ve been inseparable ever since.
She raises her brows when I stand. “Where are you going?”
“To make you a plate. We already ate.”
“I’m fine, Sterling.” I ignore her and quickly make her a plate of her favorites, grabbing her a glass of lemonade and placing them both in front of her.
She tilts her head back. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” I tell her, taking my seat.
“Did you get the nursery furniture finished?” Declan asks Brooks.
“Yep. All set for this little one.” He nods toward his wife’s belly.
“Having the shower at your house was a great idea,” Jade speaks up. “You don’t have to haul all of it home.”
“That’s what Mom, Carol, and I thought too when we were discussing where to have the shower.”
“It’s a great idea, but I could never get away with it,” Kennedy adds. “Grandma would shit a brick if I told her I wanted to have the shower anywhere other than the Willow Manor.”
“Yeah, but at least you get a discount,” I remind her.
“This is true.” She chuckles.
“Well, I think we might steal the idea,” Jade speaks up. She glances over at Orrin, and he grins.
“Babe, it’s your day. You tell me when and where, and I’ll make it happen.”
“What are we making happen?” Maverick asks.
Maverick is one of the twins. They are the youngest of my brothers. They’re identical, but Maverick is about a half inch taller than Merrick. Once you know that and you get them side by side, it’s easy to tell them apart. Maverick is also the more outgoing twin, and most of the time the instigator. He’s easy to point out because of that alone. “Baby showers,” Orrin tells him.
“I think we should take a trip before all these babies get here. One last hoorah, if you will.” Maverick rubs his hands together in glee at the prospect.
“Well, time’s running out,” Palmer tells him. “This little one will be here in less than two months.”
“All the more reason to plan something soon.” Maverick’s gaze shoots around the table.
“What are you thinking?” Brooks asks.
“Just a weekend. Maybe we can rent a cabin or five.” He chuckles. “There are a lot more of us now.”